Gem Group Clarifies Sapphire Color Requirement

RAPAPORT... Stones must have a stable color to qualify as padparadscha
sapphires, according to a ruling by the Laboratory Manual Harmonisation
Committee (LMHC), a global alliance of gemological groups.

Gemstones that turn pink during a color-stability test do
not meet the requirements for the term, LMHC concluded at a meeting in Lucerne,
Switzerland, last month. The committee comprises representatives from Japan’s Central
Gem Laboratory, the Swiss-based Gübelin Gem Lab, the Gemological
Institute of America, the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand, and the Swiss
Gemmological Institute.

Attendees at the gathering also launched a project
to harmonize color descriptions and trade terms at the various participating
laboratories, the group added.

“We are very pleased to see that all laboratories represented at
LMHC are constructively working together for a harmonization on issues that are
important for the trade and consumers,” said Lore Kiefert, chief gemologist at Gübelin
Gem Lab and co-chair of LMHC.